


all at once, i have everything

by foxerica (ericaismeg)



Series: otp: berica [16]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Library, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Minor Allison Argent/Isaac Lahey/Scott McCall, Minor Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Minor Malia Tate/Kira Yukimura, Party, Studying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-16 21:42:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16503221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericaismeg/pseuds/foxerica
Summary: + Erica stresses and over-studies for her final exams.+ Boyd wants to make sure she eats and someone's taking care of her for once.+ And the gang adopts Erica.





	all at once, i have everything

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QueenofCrazy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenofCrazy/gifts), [allirica](https://archiveofourown.org/users/allirica/gifts).



> originally posted [here](https://veronicabunch.tumblr.com/post/179707795522/all-at-once-i-have-everything)
> 
>  **IMPORTANT: IMPLIED PAST SEXUAL ASSAULT.** no details or images are described. it's v much implied. but just a head's up!!!

**☆ ☾ ☆**

 

Erica stretches her legs out, moving her ankles in circles. She’s been sitting here for  _far_  too long, but she hasn’t finished studying for her final exams next week. She’s  _so_  close to becoming a vet. It’s the only thing she’s wanted to do since she was a kid. Originally, she had wanted to train service animals in honour of her late service dog, Kevin, but somehow the idea of being a vet won out.

She closes her eyes, focusing on her breathing for a moment. The weight of the world seems to have landed on her shoulders for the last three and a half years, but it’ll soon be over. Her name will go up on the animal hospital’s wall.

**Dr. Erica Reyes**

Everything she’s given up for the last seven years of her life will be worth it. Losing touch with friends who stayed back home, the endless hours of studying, getting four hours of sleep a night to work at the animal hospital part-time, the lack of romantic or sexual relationships, the competition, the sweat, the stress, and the loneliness… it’ll be worth it.

Soon.

Erica slips into the chair a little deeper and rests her head against the wall of the study cubby. Her eyes flutter shut. She just needs another minute and then she’ll dive right back in.

Suddenly, a hand is on her shoulder. Erica jolts awake, her fingers immediately wrapping around the wrist of whoever the fuck thought it was a good idea to touch her. She spins around, twisting the wrist, and looks up.

Holy  _fucking_  shit.

The most beautiful man stands above her, looking mildly surprised that she has such a strong grip on his wrist. He crinkles his nose in discomfort. “Sorry to bother you, but we’re closing.”

Erica looks around at her surroundings. She’s at the library.  _Right._  Then she looks back up at the man; his big brown eyes staring at her with concern. Erica spies his name tag - Vernon Boyd - and then lets her grip on his wrist go.

He rubs his wrist. “You’re a lot stronger than one might expect.”

She doesn’t care how gorgeous this man is, with his dark skin, his kissable lips, and his sexy shoulders… she’s not apologizing. Erica shifts and rolls her shoulders. The library is empty; there’s no one else around. 

Glancing at her watch, she realizes it’s past midnight. She takes a quick inventory of her stuff. Her laptop has gone to sleep, her phone’s battery is almost dead, and someone stole her pen. Erica lets out a heavy sigh.

“I’ll pack up and get out of your hair,” Erica mumbles. When Vernon snorts behind her, she glances up to realize that he has no hair. Erica’s lips twitch. “Sorry?”

She sort wants to run her hands over his head now.

“It’s okay. We closed an hour ago, but you looked like you needed the sleep so,” Vernon says with a shrug. “You study more than anyone I’ve seen.”

“I have a scholarship to keep,” Erica mutters. She closes her laptop after saving her study note document three times and then slips it into her bag. Vernon has taken a few steps back to give her space, but he’s watching her closely. Erica doesn’t have the energy for this. She tucks her cell phone into the pocket of her jeans; she had ripped out the original pocket and sown in a bigger one for this reason alone. “Do you have something to say?”

Vernon doesn’t seem put off by her bold words. In fact, when she glances over her shoulder, his lips twitch into a smile. She has no idea why. Her tone isn’t exactly friendly. “No. Do you need a ride home?”

Erica laughs. “Honey, I  _just_  met you. Don’t think that I trust you as far as I can throw you.”

“Actually, I was going to order you an Uber,” Vernon replies. His voice is  _smooth._  She swallows. Her stuff is now neatly packed in her bag. All she has to do is stand up.  _Move._  But she’s so goddamn exhausted.

Erica looks down at the floor, surprised to see her pen lying there. No one had stolen it after all. She scoops it up and then pushes her chair back. When she stands, she takes a moment before turning. “I can order my own Uber, thanks.”

“You got it,” Vernon answers with a slight nod. “But I will have to ban you from using the library to study if you don’t bring yourself snacks and water.”

She narrows her eyes. “Can you even do that? Ban me, I mean.”

Vernon shrugs. “I doubt it.”

The honesty is refreshing. She hooks her thumb under the strap of her bag hanging from her shoulder and walks towards the exit without another word. She doesn’t have time for distractions and Vernon Boyd is one hell of a distraction.

Erica lets herself glance over her shoulder at him, and he’s watching her with this big brown eyes of his. He doesn’t move but keeps his eyes steady on her. Erica turns away before she does something stupid.

But when she climbs into her Uber five minutes later, Erica spies Vernon hovering by a bike rack watching her go.

Normally, she would be completely skeeved out by some guy watching her. Tonight though, it doesn’t feel so bad. Erica yawns and rests her head against the window. Her Uber driver asks her some questions, but she doesn’t answer. Eventually, he grows quiet.

Dragging herself into her bed is next to impossible. It takes all the effort she has, and she doesn’t bother to take her clothes off. Erica pulls her comforter over her, snuggles against her body pillow, and lets the darkness come for her.

 

********☆** **☾** **☆** ** ** **

 

Erica doesn’t have time to stop by the grocery store before she arrives at the library the next day, even if Vernon’s comment about snacks and water is probably a good idea. She knows that she’ll retain information better if she keeps hydrated and snacks, but Erica figures the extra large black coffee and bagel from the campus’ Tim Hortons will have to do.

She enters the library and takes a deep breath. There are only a handful of other people here so she can choose to sit wherever she wants. Erica scans the study area, debating on which cubby will work best for her.

“Weren’t you wearing that last night?”

Erica tenses for a moment before rolling her head to the side to meet Vernon’s eyes. He looks even better this morning. He didn’t shave this morning and there’s a slight hint of stubble. She allows herself only three seconds to imagine what it’d be like to have that rubbing against her skin.  _Fuck, it’s been too long._

“I didn’t have the time or energy to change. And I definitely didn’t think a librarian would be keeping track of what I wear,” Erica says, but there’s no heat in her tone. She doesn’t have the energy to be snappy or… anything, really. Erica feels like a zombie walking around these days.

“Hard not to,” Vernon says. He leans forward and tugs on part of her shirt. She jumps back and he holds his hands up. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. It’s just, your shirt was twisted and your leopard print bra was showing.”

Erica glances down. Her shirt is still skewed and her bra is most definitely showing. Like more than she’s comfortable with. She holds up her hands and steps back towards him. “Please fix it, Vernon.”

Vernon’s careful to keep his fingers from brushing against her skint too much as he pulls her shirt into place again. She lowers her hands and takes a sip of her coffee.

“Did you pack snacks and water?” Vernon asks. She’s pretty sure he’s teasing her, but she isn’t entirely sure.

“No,” she admits. “Does it look like I have–you know what? I do not need to justify myself to you. I should be studying.”

“Okay,” Vernon replies. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

Erica huffs and squares her shoulders. Alright, it’s time to get serious. Before she steps away from Vernon, she quietly says, “Thanks for trying to protect my modesty.”

Vernon gives her that slight nod again and Erica makes her way to the same cubby she’d been at the night before. It only seems right. It takes her a few minutes to get everything set up: her laptop open to her study notes, her textbook open to the last chapter she was working on, her notebook and favourite pink pen in front of her, and her headphones in.

She gets to work and absolutely does not wonder if Vernon watches her from afar.

It takes her about three hours to actually finish her bagel, and in another, her stomach is growling. She wonders if she should take a break to eat. Vernon may have a point. She should invest in snacks. Her concentration is shot to hell with a rumbling stomach.

A hand comes across her line of vision and Erica sits upright, alert. Vernon has just placed two containers in front of her. She doesn’t dare look at him right now. Instead, her hunger takes over and she pops a lid off the first container. He has cut up some bananas and scooped some peanut butter into the container. What an odd snack. She sets it aside and opens the next.

Mixed fruit, some graham crackers, and a boiled egg are in separate compartments in the container.

Erica swivels around to look up at Vernon. He holds out a steaming to-go cup.

“What’s all this?”

“Study food,” Vernon answers. She accepts the cup. “That’s green tea. You probably need some caffeine, but this also provides antioxidants. It’ll help with your concentration. Fruit, because of sugar, of course. Peanut butter because it has some proteins and fat - paired with bananas because you should always eat proteins with some fruit.”

“Uh…” Erica takes a whiff of the green tea and smiles. She’s more into herbal, fruity teas, but she’ll take whatever he’s giving to her. Then a thought crosses her mind. “How do I know you haven’t drugged this?”

Vernon doesn’t seem surprised by the question. “You don’t. I mean, I can promise you that this is all a goodwill gesture, but you don’t know if my word is good or not.”

“Is it?”

“Yes.”

Erica nods. “Thank you, um, for this. I should pay you or–”

“Just return the containers to the front desk,” Vernon answers. “Can I be bold?”

“Um, yeah,” Erica murmurs. She feels so frazzled, so out of her element. All this studying is making her brain go to mush.

“I have a feeling no one has taken care of you before,” Vernon murmurs. He nods when her lips part. “I hope you don’t mind that I did this. It seemed like, maybe, you deserved to be taken care of for once.”

“Oh! Uh, I honestly don’t know what to say to that.”

Her thoughts are racing. How had this beautiful man managed to disarm her so quickly?

“Boyd!” someone hisses from across the library. Vernon glances over his shoulder and gives them a thumbs-up.

“I have to get back to the desk,” Vernon tells her. “Enjoy, Erica.”

“I–I didn’t tell you my name,” Erica murmurs in confusion, but he’s already walking away. She stares after him for a moment before her stomach growls loud enough for the person beside her to glance over.

Erica spins around in her chair and starts to eat. She’s not sure how she feels about it, and really, she shouldn’t accept food from strangers. That’s extremely risky. But Erica takes a sip of the hot green tea and closes her eyes. It’s a risk she’s going to take again.

She didn’t learn her lesson the first time.

But something tells her that Vernon is genuine.

And three hours later, Erica packs up. Her brain is absolute mush and there’s no way she can retain any more of this information. It’s all becoming a blur. When she stands, her legs feel weak.

She stretches a little, standing on her tiptoes before she feels comfortable to walk again. She carries the containers over to the desk, glancing around. The girl behind the desk looks up, her eyes shining brightly.

“You must be Erica. Hi, I’m Allison.”

“Uh, Erica.” She cringes. “You clearly knew that already. Um, these are Vernon’s and–”

Allison lets out a soft laugh. “Wow. Do you actually get away with calling him Vernon?”

Erica’s lips part. She has never, not once, felt like before. She knows she must be off her game because she’s been studying so damn much, but… but she really has no idea what is happening anymore. “Um, yes. That’s his name?”

“He makes everyone call him Boyd,” Allison tells her. She reaches out and takes the containers from Erica’s grip. “I swear, the only time that guy shows any signs of annoyance is when he hears his first name.”

“Oh, uh,” Erica falters. Her brain isn’t making connections. Her usual witty lines aren’t coming to her. She lifts a hand and rubs her shoulder. “I guess I’ll keep that in mind. Can you make sure he gets these and tell him thank you?”

“Will do,” Allison says with a smirk. “Get some sleep, okay?”

“I’ll try,” Erica says, laughing. Her laugh sounds fake. She gives Allison a tight smile before heading out of the library.

It’s nice conversing with other people. She feels as if she hasn’t done it in weeks. Erica makes her way through the campus, bumping into a boy with an arm tattoo. “Oh, I’m so sorry!”

“No worries,” Erica answers. No one ever saw her in high school outside of her small circle of friends. She’d been invisible to everyone else. And hell, sometimes she’d been invisible to her own friends. Coming to college, she’d reinvented her look and people had taken notice.

That is until that one horrible night. Things were easier as an invisible person. No one thought to take things from her that she wasn’t offering if they didn’t realize she exists.

“Are you okay?”

Erica blinks twice before she realizes that she hasn’t moved. She gives the boy a smile. He looks familiar, but she can’t place him. “Yeah, fine. Just tired. Sorry for running into you.”

“No,  _I’m_  sorry for running into–”

“Scottie!”

Erica jumps. Her nerves are shot to hell. She looks over her shoulder to see a boy with dark brown hair and the world’s worst t-shirt ever bumbling his way towards them. Orange and blue are  _not_  his colour.

“Stiles, buddy!” Scottiesays.

“Who’s your friend?”

“Oh!” Scottie says. He holds out a hand to her. “I’m Scott.”

“Erica,” she murmurs.

“Nice to meet you. This is my best friend in the whole world, Stiles.” Scott throws an arm around his shoulder and pulls him in close. “Stiles, this is Erica. I just bumped into her because I was texting and walking.”

“Dangerous,” Stiles says, his tone serious.

Erica’s lips curl into a smile. “I should get going, but it was nice to meet you both.”

“You too. Sorry, again, for the run-in,” Scott says, laughing.

“And,” Stiles says, “I think you should definitely bump into me later.”

Then he  _winks._

Erica feels her face start to heat up. She thought she was over being embarrassed by boys hitting on her. Hell, her first year of school, she’d turned down  _so_  many guys.

“Yeah, I doubt your boyfriend would like that very much,” Scott says, patting Stiles’ chest. To Erica, he adds, “Don’t worry about Stiles. He’s harmless. He just loves to flirt.”

“No worries,” Erica tells them. She throws her thumb over her shoulder. “I have to get going. Bye.”

“Wait, wait!” Stiles shouts after her. She keeps walking. “Erica! We’re having a party next weekend. You should come.”

“Sure!” she calls over her shoulder without looking back. She doesn’t ask for details. Her? At a party? No. Not even after finals. She’s going to sleep for as long as she possibly can and do  _nothing_  after finals. It’s going to be beautiful.

Erica makes her way into her apartment a while later. Within minutes, she’s managed to strip her clothes off and crawl into her bed. Erica lets her eyes flutter shut and her body melts into her bed, screaming in pain.

 

********☆** **☾** **☆** ** ** **

 

Vernon isn’t at the library the next morning which is just as well. It’s the last day that Erica can study. Her first exam is tomorrow, and she needs to know everything inside and out.

When she passes the front desk, she smiles at Allison.

“Erica!” Allison says, waving her over.

She hesitates before walking towards Allison. “Morning, Allison.”

“Morning,” Allison greets with a bright smile. She lifts up two containers. “Boyd dropped these off this morning. Said that you’d need it.”

“Oh!” Erica smiles. She tucks her wrapped bagel into her backpack and grabs the containers with that hand. She holds her coffee close to her so she doesn’t spill it. “Tell him I said thank you and he absolutely does not need to worry about me.”

Allison laughs quietly. “Once Boyd has an idea in his head, it’s hard to get him out of it. And right now, it seems that Boyd wants to help you. And with good reason! You basically live here.”

Erica smiles; she can’t help herself. “I’m a scholarship baby, and I want to get on the Dean’s List. And, uh, well nothing else matters to me than becoming a vet. I did my placement last semester and got a taste of it. I don’t want to get too cocky now.”

Allison’s smile is bright. “I think you’re going to kick finals week’s ass. Boyd said he’d swing by later to check in on you.”

“I–” Erica lets out a small breath. “Is he a good guy?”

“The best,” Allison replies without hesitation. “He’s one of my favourite people. He doesn’t talk a whole lot, but… I was watching him with you. He seems to be at ease around you, and that’s surprising. It usually takes a while for him to open up to new people.”

“How did he know my name?”

“You checked out a book a few weeks ago so I looked up your name in the system,” Allison admits. “It’s less creepy than it sounds. Boyd seemed interested in you, so I thought I’d get some intel. I didn’t learn much, except that you share some classes with my ex-boyfriend, Scott.”

Erica blinks. “Uh, Scott?”

“Yeah. He’s going to school to be a vet too. He told us.” Allison tilts her head. “Do you know him?”

Erica scrunches her nose. “Uh, yeah. We actually bumped into each other yesterday. I  _knew_  he looked familiar but I didn’t realize we shared classes together. That’s embarrassing.”

“Don’t stress,” Allison says. “Scott wouldn’t take it personally. He said you’re very focused, which is like, his dream. He can’t focus on anything more than like, twenty minutes.”

“I see. Uh, Stiles joined us and he mentioned a party next weekend?”

“Yeah. Here. I’ll write down the address,” Allison says, springing into action. 

As she searches for a pen, a beautiful woman with strawberry blonde hair comes around to take the seat beside her. Her eyes study Erica very closely before she says, “You’re the one Boyd likes.”

“Uh–”

Allison looks up and sighs. “Lydia, don’t do that to her.”

“Well, if she can’t handle me, how do you expect her to be good enough for him?” Lydia asks Allison, one perfect eyebrow lifted.

Erica looks down at the containers of snacks that Boyd had packed for her and then she straightens her shoulders. She meets Lydia’s eyes. “He doesn’t need a guard dog. He can handle himself. And your outfit is very nice.”

Lydia looks taken aback before she smiles. “I think I like you.”

“Here’s the address,” Allison says. She sets the sticky note on the top container. “I added my number in case you needed directions or anything. I can pick you up if you need me to.”

“I should study, but it was nice to see you again, Allison.” Erica’s eyes slide over to Lydia. “You don’t scare me.”

“Oh, I definitely like her,” Lydia says with a decisive nod. She glances at Allison to add, “I think Boyd has excellent taste.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him,” Allison says, dryly. “Happy studying, Erica.”

Without another word, she goes to sit down in her usual cubby. After she’s set up and ready, she finishes her bagel in record time, and she holds her cup of green tea in her left hand while she writes notes with her right. She brings it up to her lips and closes her eyes.

Her mind seems clearer today. Her focus is stronger. When she finishes her green tea, she sets the cup down in the corner and lowers her head to write some more notes.

Nothing, absolutely  _nothing_ , will stop her from acing the exams this week.

And when Vernon silently switches her empty cup for some hot tea, Erica barely notices. She continues scribbling and then reaches for the cup out of habit to take a sip.

Erica blinks when the hot tea reaches her lips. Then she smiles, pops open one of his containers, and snacks away.

 

********☆** **☾** **☆** ** ** **

 

The week of finales is horrendous, but Erica has never felt more confident. The endless hours of studying paid off. She knew most of the answers on her exams without hesitation. And it’s over. It’s finally over.

Erica stands in front of her full-length mirror and frowns. She has no idea what kind of party this is. She assumes people are going to get trashed to celebrate the end of finals, but… but that means they’ll probably be dressed in something casual.

And there is nothing casual about the tight red dress she wears with her leopard print heels. Erica finally put some effort into her hair and did her makeup. She feels brand new. Rejuvenated. Exhausted but ready to let loose.

She turns around to check out her ass in the dress. No, her ass looks way too good to change into a different outfit.

Erica checks her phone and sees that Allison is downstairs, waiting for her. She tucks her phone into her clutch and grabs her keys. Erica doesn’t rush, but she’s relieved when Allison is leaning against her car to greet her in a nice dress.

“You look amazing!” Erica tells Allison, wrapping her arms around her.

“Me? Look at you! Damn. Boyd is going to drool so hard,” Allison teases. “We have to pick up some more people. Let’s go.”

Erica gets into the passenger door while Allison climbs back into the driver’s side. Their conversation is easy as they discuss how killer their exams were, and Erica gives Lydia a bright smile when they pick her up from the mall.

“You might drink to forget this week, but I shop,” Lydia says, holding up a bag. “Want to see the great finds I bought?”

“Obviously,” Erica says, grinning. It’s almost as if she has…friends.

They pick up a girl named Kira, who is so tiny and adorable that Erica wants to shield her from the rest of the world. But when Lydia gives her a brand new top that she’d bought specifically for Kira, the woman pulls out her pocket knife to cut off the tags.

“Damn!” Erica exclaims.

Kira looks up in surprise before ducking her head slightly. “Oh, don’t mind this. Ally and I met at a knife throwing class and uh, whatever. We like knives.”

“A knife throwing class?” Erica murmurs. “Whoa. That is so cool.”

“And we also took fencing together,” Allison adds. She swings in front of a bar. “Lydia, would you text Malia?”

“Wait,  _Malia’s_  coming?” Kira asks, her eyes widening. “No one told me this!”

“Cora wanted us to pick up her cousin,” Lydia says as if that explains it. She hits send on her message and Erica glances out the window. “You know that Malia is going to be super chill about your hook up, right?”

“Maybe, but I’m not!” Kira protests. “I haven’t seen her since and what if it’s just–”

The back door swings open. “Hey bitches! Scoot over. Cora is driving me  _nuts_  wondering when we’re going to get there.”

“H–hi!” Kira stammers as she pushes against Lydia. The woman who must be Malia climbs in and shuts the door.

Her eyes immediately land on Erica. “Who’s the new girl?”

“Malia!” Lydia says. Erica thinks it’s ironic and laughs.

“Erica. You must be Malia.”

“Yep,” Malia says, eyeing Erica some more. Then she turns to Kira and asks, “Do you like the new girl?”

“Malia! What kind of question is that?” Kira protests. She throws her hands in the air. “Seriously. I just met Erica, but she seems very lovely. And–”

Their bickering…which, Erica realizes is probably more accurately described as flirting…continues on and Erica leans her head against the back of the headrest. She can’t tear the smile off her face if she wanted to.

She’s never had friends like these before.

“We’re here!” Allison announces. “Remember, I’m not drinking so if anyone needs a ride home, you come to find me. That includes you too, Blondie.”

Erica laughs and nods. “Alright, got it, Ally.”

Allison brightens at the use of her nickname. Before anyone gets out of the car, she turns around. “Listen up. Tonight is a big night for all of us. It’s been a while since we’ve been with these boys again. But we’re here to have fun and…”

“And we’ll make sure that Scott doesn’t find out about you and Isaac,” Malia says, bored. “Don’t worry, Ally A. We’ve got this.”

“Wait, can I–” Erica hesitates before she says, “Can I ask what’s going on?”

“Uh,” Kira says, taking a breath. “Alright, Allison used to date Scott… Allison is now with Scott’s best friend, Isaac, but they aren’t ready to come clean yet. We’ve all been friends for years, except that Lydia and Jackson had a pretty rough break up. And then Allison and Scott. So, we haven’t actually all been together in a long time.”

“That’s…okay,” Erica says, processing.

“And to make things more difficult, Lydia has a thing for Cora. But her brother, Derek, used to be like, in love with Lydia,” Kira continues. “So, there’s another weird dynamic. And Malia only found out she’s related to Cora and Derek and Laura like, two years ago. They’re cousins. And Malia dated Scott’s best friend, Stiles, but then  _they_  broke up because Stiles is in love with Derek. Jackson is in love with his best friend, Danny, but Danny is hung up on his ex-boyfriend, Ethan.”

Erica blinks. “I’m–I’m trying to follow this.”

“It’s a giant clusterfuck of awkwardness,” Malia announces. “Kira’s probably the only one without any drama.”

“Hey! Scott and I dated too!”

“Hardly!” Malia says, shaking her head.

“Okay, now that Erica knows all our laundry, can we  _please_  go get drunk?” Lydia asks.

Erica shoots a look at Allison who nods. “Yes, please.”

Lydia opens the front door to the house without hesitating, and Erica glances at Allison.

“You nervous?”

“Sort of? I haven’t exactly made friends since moving here for college and–”

Erica’s words are cut off when she hears her name being shouted from the other side of the living room. Confused, she looks around and sees Stiles running towards her.

“You came!” Stiles exclaims before wrapping his arms around her. Erica’s startled but she eventually wraps her arms around him. He pulls away. “How did you know where the party is?”

“Uh, I,” Erica gestures vaguely in the air. “Allison invited me.”

“I’m glad you came!” Scott’s friendly voice comes. Erica smiles and he holds his arms out for a hug. She gives Allison a bewildered expression over his shoulder. When Scott steps back, he gives Allison a warm smile. “Hi, it’s so nice to see you again.”

“You too.”

And then Stiles drags Erica into the kitchen. He’s talking a mile a minute, and she follows most of it.

“This is Derek Hale,” Stiles announces, pointing at the grumpy man leaning against the counter. “Don’t be concerned about his face. It always looks like that.”

“Stiles,” Derek mutters, darkly. He holds out a hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Erica,” she supplies. “Allison invited me. Thanks for having me in your home.”

Derek raises an eyebrow, studying her for a moment. Then he turns to Stiles. “Why don’t you change the music? Maybe turn the volume up  _a little._  I mean it. A little, Stiles.”

“I’ll be right back, Erica. You get some shots set up for us!”

“He’s…” Erica lets out a breath and nods. She glances around at the kitchen island. So many bottles of booze are spread out. Red solo cups. Little red solo shot glasses. Some chips in bowls. And a lot of different types of mix. “Stiles is very…”

“It’s okay,” Derek offers, stepping beside her. “There aren’t enough words to accurately describe Stiles. You said your name is Erica…Boyd’s Erica?”

Erica whips her head to look at him. A smirk on her lips. “I’m sorry,  _Boyd’s Erica?_  Is that really what you just said?”

“Yeah,” Derek murmurs. He picks up a bottle of whiskey. “Stiles’ favourite. If you say that you picked it out, he’ll say it’s kismet.”

“So, Boyd likes me. And he’s talked about me,” Erica says, studying Derek.

“Yeah,” Derek answers. He meets her eyes. “Although to be fair, he mentioned your name  _once_  to my sister, Cora, and Cora made sure everyone knew you existed. Boyd doesn’t talk about people to us.”

Erica can’t keep the smile from her lips. She pours the whiskey that Derek picked out into three shot glasses.

Derek shouts, “Stiles! Turn that down! Too loud!”

“Yeah, right!” Stiles calls out. A moment later, he’s bounding into the kitchen again. “What’d you choose?”

Erica holds up the bottle of whiskey. Stiles’ eyes widen. “That’s my favourite! Excellent choice. We must be fated to be best friends.”

She glances at Derek to see him attempt to hide his smile.

“Almost like it’s kismet.”

“Exactly!”

Erica gives Stiles an easy smile and the three of them take a shot. Derek excuses himself when someone shouts his name. Erica quietly says to Stiles, “Derek picked out the whiskey. I just thought you should know.”

Stiles’ eyes widen and then Erica moves past him. She steps into the living room and feels a little overwhelmed by how many people are scattered around. Allison comes up to her though. “I see Stiles let you out of his grip. He did that because he wanted Scott and me to have a moment. And…”

“No worries,” Erica assures her. Quietly, she asks, “Which one is Isaac?”

“Uh, green shirt, curly hair, sitting on the chair,” Allison answers, her lips barely moving. Erica watches as the two of them make eye contact for the briefest second. “It’s a very confusing situation. I’m sorry if you’re feeling overwhelmed.”

“Honestly? This feels so refreshing. I’m no longer thinking about my exams,” Erica tells her. “It’s a little weird that everyone knows me in reference to Boyd because…well, I don’t really know him. But…whatever. I’m pretty sure he saved me last weekend.”

Allison beams. “Let me introduce you to some people since Boyd isn’t here yet.”

“Okay.”

 

********☆** **☾** **☆** ** ** **

 

By the time Vernon arrives after his shift at the library, Erica is well acquainted with all his friends. They played a massive game of Truth or Dare mixed with Never Have I Ever and Would You Rather. Erica is a little tipsy but she’s not the only one who cheers when Boyd steps into the living room.

He seems surprised to see her there, but he ignores everyone else to talk to her. “Erica, hi.”

“Hi,” she answers, her cheeks a little warm. She gets up from the floor and he holds out a hand to steady her. She hasn’t…she hasn’t had alcohol since  _that_  night but something tells her that she doesn’t have to worry with these guys. They all seemed to accept her instantly like she was always meant to be part of their group.

Erica lets Vernon lead her down the hall into a back room. It has a love seat and two large bookshelves. There’s a little desk without a computer at one of the windows.

“You’re here.”

“I’m here,” Erica murmurs. She sits down on the love seat and looks up at Vernon. “You wanna tell me why  _all_  your friends know who I am? I’m  _Boyd’s Erica_ apparently.”

“Fuck,” Vernon mutters. “You must be so freaked out and–”

“I’m touched.” Erica reaches out for him. He slips his hand in hers and she yanks him forward. He sits down on the love seat beside her. He’s so big that she has to adjust herself and ends up throwing her legs over his. “Like, if you weren’t so damn handsome, and if you hadn’t fed me during my intense study sessions, I would probably be running in the other direction. But I don’t know…”

Vernon lets out a soft amused laugh. He runs his thumb over her knuckles. “I’m not usually like this. In fact, I wasn’t even sure that I was into anyone romantically. And then you came along, and… you were unlike anyone I’ve ever seen.”

“A mess?” Erica asks, giggling. She rolls her shoulders. “I wasn’t always like this. But, well, shit happens and shit fucks you up.”

“Oh, um.” Vernon meets her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Erica shrugs. “Don’t be. I’ve mostly figured it out. But were you writing our names in your notebook?”

Vernon laughs. “No, but it seems a little silly to have crushed on you without knowing anything about you. I just, I guess I wanted to get to know you.”

“Alright, let’s.” Erica’s eyes shine. “Tell me  _everything_  about you, Vernon Boyd. All the good, the bad, and the shit in between. I’m tipsy enough to remember but drunk enough to be willing to spill all my secrets.”

“Alright,” Vernon agrees. “Ask me anything.”

“Why me?”

“Because you wore  _Ghostbusters_  pyjama bottoms to the library on a Tuesday afternoon.”

Erica’s eyebrows come together. When did she… “You’ve liked me  _since last year?”_

“Yeah. If you want to leave–”

“No,” Erica says, shaking her head. “Tell me why.”

“Okay.”

 

********☆** **☾** **☆** ** ** **

 

The conversation replays in her mind three weeks later. They’ve texted a bit since, but after she was offered a full-time position at the animal hospital, she’s been busy. Erica had also told him she needed some time.

Except that was a lie.

Erica doesn’t need time. She listened to how Vernon tried not to crush on her, how he kept telling his friends there wasn’t anything going on between them, how he had built her up in his head. Erica had asked him what he thought of her now. He’d told her that she was keeping him on his toes.

Which is great.

Except that Erica’s done keeping him on his toes.

They spent the entire evening talking until the wee hours of the morning. She’d sat on the island counter and watched him make breakfast. Their conversation had turned away from his crush on her to everything under the sun.

She knows all about his sister, how Alicia almost died, how Vernon has never loved anyone as much as he loves his sister. Erica can list at least six different stories that showcase his parents as abusive and neglectful. She wanted to ease his pain with a kiss, but he had pulled away. She’d been drinking and he wanted their first kiss to be when they were both sober.

The words had tumbled out of Erica’s lips before she had been able to stop them. How she had been a nobody in high school. How she spent the first year of school dressing like a somebody but she only made superficial friendships. How she lost everything one night when a guy didn’t understand the word no. How everything faded when she became serious about school again.

She’d been working so hard for so long, Erica had worried she wasn’t the same person anymore. She told Vernon how she’d been confident, sassy, bold, and everything else for one year. One year and it’d been great. She’s not so certain these days.

Except that Erica’s certain about one thing.

Vernon Boyd makes her feel like  _her_ again. She misses him. They had one beautiful night together talking and she misses him.

When she climbs into her car after a particularly rough day at the animal hospital, Erica closes her eyes to take a deep breath. Then she pulls her phone from her purse. She scrolls through her notifications.

It’s weird.

She has notifications now.

_Allison, Lydia, Scott, Stiles, Allison, Malia, Kira, Stiles, Stiles, Derek, Lydia, Vernon, Vernon, Vernon, Vernon._

Erica tosses her phone into the passenger’s seat. She’ll answer them when she gets home.

Except she doesn’t drive home.

Fifteen minutes later, Erica is knocking on the Hales’ door. She pulls out her phone, ready to text Derek back when the front door swings open.

“Erica!” Cora says, surprised. “Uh, come in.”

“Is Vernon home?”

“Who?” Cora asks. Then she laughs. “Oh, Boyd? Yeah. Hang on.  _Boyd! You’re going to want to come downstairs.”_

“Just pay for the pizza and I’ll pay you back!” Vernon calls down.

Cora sighs. “Boys are so dumb.  _Get your ass down here.”_

A few moments later, Vernon is walking down the stairs. His face breaks out into a big smile. “Erica!”

“I hope it’s okay that I stopped by.”

“More than,” Vernon says. He wraps his arms around her. “You okay?”

Tears prick at her eyes, and she feels her body grow weak in his grip. He holds onto her tightly and she lets the tears fall. Today had been such a crap day. And the only person she’d wanted to see was Vernon.

“I’ve got you,” he murmurs. She feels his lips against the top of her head.

“I’ll leave you be,” Cora says. “If Stiles comes over, don’t let him in. He’s fighting with Derek again.”

Erica isn’t sure how long they’re alone, how long they stand like that, but eventually, Vernon leads her up to his bedroom. She strips her clothes and crawls into his bed, under his covers.

She has no idea why she feels so bold.

But Vernon’s arms wrap around her, pulling her in close against his bare chest, and Erica’s glad.

“I’m here,” Vernon murmurs into her ear. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really,” Erica mumbles. She takes a shaky breath. “Yes.”

Vernon’s thumb runs along her knuckles again. Erica enjoys it for a moment before she rolls over in his arms. She looks up at him and he kisses the top of her nose.

She’s pretty sure if they stayed here like this forever, she’d be okay with that.

 

********☆** **☾** **☆** ** ** **

 

“You two haven’t kissed yet?” Stiles asks, stretching out on the couch. His feet dig into her legs and she leans forward to lift his heels onto her lap. “That’s weird.”

“It’s really not,” Erica says. “We’re still trying to get to know each other. And like, I’m obviously a giant mess.”

“Obviously,” Malia says, entering the living room. “But I like having you around, so take your time.”

“That’s the biggest compliment I think I’ve ever heard you give someone, Malia,” Stiles says.

“Yeah, don’t tell anyone that I’m growing soft,” Malia threatens.

“No one would ever dare,” Kira says, reaching out. She pulls Malia into her on the floor. They settle into one another. Erica’s not sure what happened, but she’s glad that they figured things out. “Where’s Derek with the cookies?”

“I’m coming!” Derek calls out.

“Bring milk!” Cora calls back from the bottom of the stairs. She comes into the living room. “Y’all haven’t started yet? Sweet.”

“We’re waiting for Lydia,” Erica tells her. “I hope it’s okay that I invited her?”

Cora smiles. “Yeah. It’s cool.”

“Why aren’t Scott and Ally and Isaac coming?” Kira asks, looking at Stiles. “Ally just sent me a message saying that they were bowing out. Did Scott find out about Allison and Isaac?”

“And then, Allison found out about Scott and Issac,” Stiles tells her. He throws his hands in the air. “I honestly have no idea how that’s going to work out, but our boy, Isaac, has been busy.”

“Damn,” Cora says with a grin. “Good for Isaac. He deserves to be treated well.”

The front door swings open. Lydia steps in. She’s completely drenched from head to toe. She shuts the door behind her before saying, “My car broke down at the end of the road and there’s a massive storm and…”

“Jesus, Lydia!” Cora says, shooting up from her spot. She rushes over. “Okay, you wait here. I’ll get some towels and clothes and… damn, Lyds.”

“I’ll get the towels. Where do I look?” Erica offers, jumping up. Derek answers her when he walks in, and Erica rushes upstairs. She goes into Cora’s room and grabs some clothes for Lydia to change into since Cora hasn’t come up yet.

Erica hands them all to Cora while Lydia gives her information to Derek. Erica glances at him, but he’s calling someone. Cora quietly says, “I don’t think we’ll be down for the movie. Start it without us.”

“Okay.”

After Derek has organized a tow truck to pick up Lydia’s car, the group settles in to watch a movie. Erica’s phone buzzes halfway through and she smiles when she sees Vernon’s name on the screen.

She types out a response, and he tells her that he’ll be home soon.

“Ooh, did Lover Boy text you?” Stiles asks, lifting one of his feet towards her face. Erica laughs, shoving it out of the way. She shoves it a little too hard, and it hits the back of Derek’s head.

“Hey, quit it!”

Then Stiles and Derek start bickering and Erica slips off the living room couch. She doesn’t care to watch the rest of the movie. She makes her way upstairs to Vernon’s room.

Erica lets herself in and closes the door behind her. She goes to the window and watches for Vernon to come home. The rain has calmed down now, at least. When he bikes into the driveway, Erica yanks down the blinds.

It’s not long before he’s opening his bedroom door. He gives her a warm smile, shutting the door behind him. “I don’t think I could ever get used to coming home to you. You look adorable. I like your  _Ghostbusters_  bottoms. And you should  _always_  wear my sweaters.”

A bright smile reaches her lips. She’d stolen one of his sweaters when she had arrived. Her hair is in the messiest bun. But he still thinks she looks adorable. Erica crosses the room, closing the distance between them, and wraps her arms around his neck.

He stumbles back, his back shutting his door behind him. Then Vernon’s hands wrap around her waist. Their breathing is jagged.

The moment their lips touch, Erica knows. She knows that they were always meant to find one another. The warm feeling she feels building in her belly washes over the rest of her body. She deepens the kiss and then suddenly, things are moving in a blur.

Erica will never get enough of this. Enough of  _Vernon._  Her body aches to be even closer to him, and she arches against him. They’re tumbling onto his bed one minute, the next she’s straddling him and pulling his sweater off.

She lifts her own off, revealing that she hadn’t worn a bra tonight.

Vernon’s eyes flash with desire.

“You make me feel alive,” Erica murmurs before her lips come down to meet him again. She rocks against him gently. She kisses his jaw, moving down his body. She drags her nails down his chest and smiles when he can’t catch his breath. “I don’t even know how it happened, Vernon. Suddenly, you were there. It happened so fast. But I have  _friends_  now. I haven’t had friends in years. And I have you. I want you. I want to be yours.”

Vernon’s large palms rub her thighs. He smiles at her. “You have me. All of me, Erica. I’m yours.”

The smile that breaks across her face is undeniable. She shimmies down on him so that she can pull his sweatpants down. Vernon gasps when she drags her tongue across his skin.

It feels good to be here, doing this, with him.

Erica doesn’t want to be anywhere else, because all at once, she has everything.

 

********☆** **☾** **☆** ** ** **

**Author's Note:**

> hello from the ashes.
> 
> i'm not sure what i'm doing but i mean. if any ship was going to make me come back, it was obviously going to be berica.
> 
> pretty sure i'm going to go back to the ashes. but.
> 
> it was nice to stop by and see you!
> 
> i'm not even 100% sure anyone will see this // read it. like, are people still subscribed to me for sterek? will they recognize my name and go "SHIT THAT BITCH IS BACK?" and be disappointed when it's not sterek? do people still get notified when i post things?? like i'm sorry if anyone was like **!!!!!** ... _oh it's not sterek whatever._ \\\shrug// lbr, i was always here for berica anyway.
> 
> xo!


End file.
